Posts Tagged ‘NHTSA’

NHTSA Rules for Teen Drivers Could Curb Davie Car Accidents

Sunday, December 2nd, 2012

Statistics show that teen drivers are more likely than adult drivers to be involved in car accidents. There are a number of reasons for this. The most common reason is that teen drivers have less driving experience than older drivers, and this can put them at risk for an accident simply because they do not know how to avoid a collision. In some cases, teen drivers also take a larger risk than older drivers. For example, they may drive distracted or may engage in other risky behaviors that lead to a Davie car accident. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration believes that parents can play a key role in preventing teen car accidents. According to the agency, there are rules that parents can establish to help their children stay safe on the roads:

1) Always wear a seat belt. Both teen drivers and their passengers should wear a seat belt correctly each time that they are in a car. Wearing a seat belt can help prevent Davie head injuries in the event of a crash as well as many other serious injuries. The simple seatbelt, despite the advent of many safety features, remains one of the most important pieces of safety equipment in any car.

2) No alcohol. In Florida, teenage drivers are not allowed to have any alcohol in their blood system. This means that teen drivers cannot drink at all when they are driving. Many parents assume that their children do not drink and drive because they are underage and cannot secure alcohol easily. Unfortunately, it is all too common for teen drivers to cause Davie drunk driving accidents, and alcohol is easier to procure than many parents believe. Underage drinking is a serious problem across Florida, so it is important for parents to enforce no drinking rules for their teen drivers.

3) No using a cell phone or texting while driving. Teen drivers often feel that they will miss something important if they turn off their cell phones or mobile devices off while driving. In addition, many teens like to stay connected at all times, even when they are driving. While Florida does not have any laws banning cell phone use or texting and driving, multiple research studies have suggested that texting while driving can be as dangerous as drinking and driving. Distracted driving is a leading cause of many Davie truck accidents and car accidents. In order to keep your teen driver safe, it is important for parents to enforce the no distracted driving rule. There are online pledges that teen drivers can sign, promising that they will not drive distracted.

4) Only one passenger in the car at a time. Studies have shown that teens with multiple teenage passengers in the car are more likely to be involved in risk-taking activities and more likely to be involved in a car accident. The more teens are in the car, the higher the risk of an accident or injury. The same studies, however, show that having an adult in the car can actually reduce the risk of a car accident for a teen driver. Based on this type of research, it is a good idea for parents to limit the number of passengers that their teen drivers are allowed in the car.


Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

MADD joins Secretary of DOT & NHTSA Administrator at press conference

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

This morning, I had the pleasure of joining Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and NHTSA Administrator David Strickland to speak at a press conference in Waltham, MA about the exciting progress that has been made in the development of technology that might one day eliminate drunk driving!

We have renewed hope that the cure for drunk driving is on the horizon. Turning cars into the cure is now a reality that might be seen in our automobiles in the next 8-10 years. The folks at Qinetiq are working very hard to test two potential technologies that could prevent the car from being operational if the driver is at or above .08 BAC.

Human subject testing (testing the potential technologies in a controlled laboratory setting as the person is given measured amounts of alcohol at specific times) has already taken place. The results have been very encouraging and I’ll write more about that at a later time.

Our Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving hits the five year mark this fall. Imagine…in less than 5 years from now, a research car that is equipped with one or both of these technologies will have been operational for several years and we will be even closer to our goal of eliminating drunk driving.

I am more passionate about the potential to get this cure in cars than I ever have been before! It is possible!

Let’s all keep our focus on making sure that Congress knows we need this technology to not only save lives and prevent injuries, but to save our country millions of dollars in damages from drunk driving.

Blog to Eliminate Drunk Driving

President Obama nominates MADD CEO Chuck Hurley to head NHTSA

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

White House Announces Its Intent to Nominate MADD CEO to Head NHTSA; Debbie Weir Will Serve as Acting CEO.

Wednesday, the Obama Administration announced its intention to nominate MADD CEO Chuck Hurley as the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The MADD National Board of Directors will name Chief Operating Officer Debbie Weir as acting CEO upon Chuck’s appointment.
Upon his confirmation by the U.S. Senate, as NHTSA Administrator, Chuck will be responsible for leading all highway safety programs in the U.S., promulgating highway safety standards and helping to administer fuel economy regulations.
Chuck joined MADD as CEO in March 2005. He previously served as the Vice President of the Transportation Safety Group for the National Safety Council and as the Executive Director of the Council’s Air Bag and Seat Belt Safety Campaign.
A longtime volunteer for MADD, Chuck has been involved in the organization since the very beginning. He attended MADD’s first national press conference in Washington, D.C. in 1980, and strongly supported and assisted in MADD’s efforts to pass the National 21 Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984. From 1993 to 1998, Chuck served on MADD’s National Board of Directors.
“As CEO, Chuck brought focus to MADD,” said Paul Folkemer, chairman of MADD’s Board of Directors. “Under Chuck’s leadership, MADD developed and launched its boldest initiative ever: the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. The Campaign has brought renewed focus, passion and vigor to the organization.”
Bringing 14 years of nonprofit management experience from the healthcare industry, Debbie joined MADD in 2002 as the Vice President of Victim Services. Under her leadership, MADD increased the number of victims served for three consecutive years by 20 percent. In December 2005, Debbie was promoted to Chief Operating Officer for MADD, responsible for building capacity at the field level and providing strategic leadership in the areas of communication, field relations, public policy, programs, and victim advocacy. In 2007, MADD served more than 50,000 victims of drunk driving crashes.
“The Board has complete confidence in Debbie’s ability to lead the organization during this transition,” said Folkemer. “With her experience as Chief Operating Officer, commitment to victim/survivors and extensive knowledge of MADD’s field, Debbie will lead MADD to success as we pursue our mission to eliminate drunk driving, serve more victims and prevent underage drinking.”
The White House nomination may go to the U.S. Senate in early May with a Senate confirmation hearing to follow thereafter.
Photo above of Chuck Hurley on steps of Oregon State Capitol

MADD Oregon News